Girls Club scores Colin Kaepernick for gala

BY LINCOLN ANDERSON | The Lower East Side Girls Club will honor Colin Kaepernick and the Know Your Rights Camp at its Spring Fling Gala on Wed., April 10, at the Angel Orensanz Center, at 172 Norfolk St.

Kaepernick was a quarterback with the San Francisco 49ers for seven seasons, and led them in the 2012 Super Bowl. During the 2016 and ’17 seasons, he kneeled during the national anthem before games to highlight racial injustice and police brutality. The protest snowballed with more players joining in — especially after President Trump, in September 2017, urged team owners to fire players who kneeled.

Colin Kaepernick will be honored by the Lower Eastside Girls Club at their Spring Fling Gala in April.

Since the ’17 season’s end, Kaepernick has been an unsigned free agent. He recently settled a grievance with the National Football League and team owners that charged collusion to keep him out of the game.

“We are thrilled to honor Colin Kaepernick and Know Your Rights Camp,” the Lower Eastside Girls Club said. “For the past three years, Colin has been a supporter, mentor and inspiration for the Girls Club. His bravery and commitment to racial and social justice has encouraged our members to stand up for what they believe in and to embrace their identity as activists and advocates.”

Founded by Kaepernick, Know Your Rights Camp is a free nationwide youth initiative. The group’s goal is to raise awareness around higher education and self-empowerment, plus provide “instruction on how to properly interact with law enforcement in various scenarios.”

Know Your Rights Camp’s stated goal is “To help build a stronger generation of people that will create the change that is much needed in this world.”

Lower Eastside Girls Club members have worked as youth ambassadors alongside Kaepernick and the group’s female leadership.

More honorees for the Girls Club’s April 10 gala are to be announced. For more information, visit benefit@girlsclub.org .